In the art of garment accessories, there are typically found devices which pin to and therefore puncture the fabric surface of the given garment. Such devices are inherently damaging to any given clothing garment. For example, a common broach or tie-pin can cause loosening of the fabric fibers. Further, after repetitive attachment and removal, such common devices can cause excessive wear and tear of the garment. A variety of clothing accessory devices exist which avoid puncture of the garment.
One such prior device includes a clothing accessory disclosed U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,271 to Maxwell-Trumble et al. that provides a molded plastic plate and a molded plastic ring. The periphery of the plate is provided with a first engagement surface and the interior of the ring is provided with a second engagement surface. The relative dimensions of the plate and the ring are chosen such that the fabric of an article of clothing can be engaged between the first and second engagement surfaces. More specifically, when the ring is placed on one side of a fabric and the plate is placed on the other side of a fabric, the plate and ring may be pressed together so that the plate is frictionally engaged inside the ring by the fabric of the clothing. The engagement surfaces are V-shaped such that one of the surfaces is a concave V-shaped groove and the other is a convex V-shaped edge. This device also includes providing a peripheral lip on the plate which extends substantially orthogonal to one side surface of the plate to define an image receiving area. A photograph, hologram, or other decorative indicia is attached to the plate by providing the indicia on a material which is attached to the plate with an adhesive such as by a self-adhesive, peel and stick material. One limitation of this prior art device is that the molded plastic plate requires a layer of clothing in order to be frictionally engaged inside the molded plastic ring. In other words, the plate and ring cannot be assembled together unitarily without the intervening fabric of the clothing.
Another such prior device related to clothing accessories is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,920 to Denison whereby a snap-in adapter system includes an interior piece having a circular interior face and a short cylindrical side wall forming a cylindrical recess, the recess having an interior diameter. The system also includes an exterior piece. The exterior piece has a circular exterior face with a diameter slightly less than that of the diameter of the recess of the interior piece forming a uniform gap there between. In this manner, Denison requires an intervening layer of fabric in such gap so as to retain the exterior and interior pieces together. The exterior piece also has a cylindrical projection. The interior and exterior pieces mate in order to hold fabric of clothing there between. Also provided is an attachment means which is shown to be either a tube or a bore. The tube or bore forms a mount whereby only jewelry, name tags, or similar clothing accessory having a pin may be mounted. Because such pin mounts within either the tube or bore of the adapter system, no clothing fabric is pierced by the pin.
Another such prior device related to clothing accessories is disclosed in U.S. Published Patent Application 2008/0250677 to O'Leary. This device relates to an item of clothing with an accessory such as a badge for attachment to clothing and suitable accessories for the purpose. The badge provides a plastic main body portion having a printable surface on at least one side. An attachment portion is provided having a recess in which the main body portion can fit snugly together with a panel of a garment. The garment is trapped between the main body portion and the attachment portion when they are fitted from opposed sides of the garment panel. The fit between the main body portion and the attachment portion, once the garment panel is trapped there between, is sufficiently tight to hold the portions together in engagement. Alternatively, magnetic portions may be used to ensure sufficient hold on the garment is maintained. Throughout, the badge is provided with artwork to cooperate with the artwork on the garment such that the use of different badges, different placements or different sides of two sided badges can alter the overall synergistic effect. Similar to Maxwell-Trumble, the non-magnetic main body portion and attachment portion cannot be assembled together unitarily without the intervening fabric of the clothing.
Another such prior device related to clothing accessories is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,289 to Melia showing a buckle for use with t-shirts, hair or other similar flexible substrates. The buckle is comprised of a base portion having openings through which the tail of the t-shirt is inserted and a cover which removably locks onto the base, thereby securing the buckle to the t-shirt. The base is provided with two openings separated by a bar and surrounded by an inwardly facing ridge. The ridge is engagable with a series of outwardly facing grooves provided on the cover in order to releasably lock the buckle to t-shirts of various thicknesses. Because this device only includes the openings through which the flexible substrate is placed, requisite bunching and wrinkling of the substrate occurs. This precludes smooth placement on a flat fabric portion of clothing.
It is, therefore, desirable to at least provide a clothing accessory which can be assembled completely yet remain removable with regard to attachment to clothing garments.